In Haddonfield, New Jersey, workers quarrying marl in 1838 uncovered bones that became one of the most important dinosaur discoveries in the United States. The find gained wider significance in 1858 when William Parker Foulke directed a careful excavation and recovered 35 bones, later studied by Joseph Leidy and named Hadrosaurus foulkii. Leidy’s 1865 analysis and the reconstructed skeleton displayed in 1868 helped establish the animal’s scientific importance and introduced it to the public. Especially notable as the first relatively complete set of dinosaur bones discovered, the site later regained attention, contributed to the species becoming New Jersey’s official dinosaur, and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Barclay, New Jersey · USA